When manufacturing vehicle parts such as motor vehicle doors for example the individual parts such as the outer skin are initially manufactured in press tools from the raw blank and in subsequent processes assembled with additional parts such as the framework and reinforcements for example. The manufacture of the individual parts includes various individual processes such as the drawing, the cutting to size, the vertical folding and the folding of flanges into a pre-flanging position before the individual parts prepared in this manner are assembled and finish-flanged and thus joined to one another.
Generally, different tools are also provided for the numerous different process steps for which in the production a relatively large space is required for the respective operations. For example the cutting to size and folding of a sheet for example for the outer skin of a vehicle is conventionally carried out in a plurality of press tools and the sheet so processed subsequently pre-flanged and finally finish-flanged in a flanging device on a flanging bed by means of flanging rollers or flanging jaws in a plurality of steps.
In addition, the individual part to be manufactured has to be removed from a press tool for every process step and placed into a following one, which is very time consuming, more so since the workpiece in each case has to be exactly positioned and fixed for an optimal processing result. In addition, this procedure involves considerable tool investment.
At least one object of the invention therefore is to state a folding device which allows both space and time saving processing of workpieces during the preparation of the assembly and the flanging. A further object is to state a particularly simple and quick method for the folding of workpieces. In addition, other objects, desirable features, and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent summary and detailed description, and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background.